Web Development

Alpha HTML5 Coding-Optional, It's Non-Optional

Alpha Software has updated its Alpha Anywhere "coding-optional" development environment for building HTML5 applications. There are also new web-based developer materials focused on advancing the concept of Responsive App Design.

So here's the concept: So-called Responsive App Design allows HTML5 to deliver on one of its major promises &mdash the ability to build an application once and then deploy it on multiple devices with native (or at least native-like) appearance and performance.

The HTML5 proposition also centers around allowing an application to take full advantage of a device's display "real estate" for the user.

Alpha argues that its design concepts help when programming business applications to perform functions such as manipulating multiple forms of data, conducting queries, or controlling remote devices.

Alpha Anywhere utilizes a single code base and now includes the new Responsive Layout Genie for user responsiveness — developers use a wizard-like interface to specify a list of rules and associated actions for setting the attributes of the various user interface controls.

Another key, new Alpha Anywhere feature is the Absolute Layout Container, which uses a drag-and-drop interface to let developers reproduce paper forms on the screen.

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This month's Dr. Dobb's Journal

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Dr. Dobb's Journal is devoted to mobile programming. We introduce you to Apple's new Swift programming language, discuss the perils of being the third-most-popular mobile platform, revisit SQLite on Android
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